Ironing-board.



PATENTEDJULY 12, 1904. T. J. BLAGG. I

IRONING BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1903.

2 SHEBTSr-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

al ke: 1 1 2-11 No. 764,704. PATBNTED JULY 12, 1904. T. J. BLAGG.

IRONING BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITED STATES Patented July 12, 1904.

THOMAS J. BLAGG, OF BOISE, IDAHO.

lRONlNG-BOARD.

SPECIFICATEEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,704, dated July 12, 190%.

Application filed July 18,1903. Serial No. 166,182. (No model.) v v To (bl/Z whom it 777/1111] concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. BLAGG, acitizen of the United States, residing at Boise, in the county of Ada and State of Idaho, have invented a new and useful Ironing-Board, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in vide a simple, inexpensive, and efiicie nt device adapted to stretch a shirt or other garment automatically to remove the wrinkles from the same previously to ironing such shirt or other garment.

The invention also has for its object to provide a device of this character in which the tension device for stretching a shirt or other garment will be automatically thrown out of operation when the board is arranged in position to receive a garment and to permit the same to be removed from it and in which the tension device will be automatically thrown into operation when the board is brought to a horizontal position.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

in the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ironing-board constructed in accordance with this invention and shown arranged for use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view of the board. Fig. 4 is a side view, the ironing-board being folded. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, the parts being folded. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the detachable neckband supporting-block; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ironing-board, illustrating a modification of the invention. v

Like numerals of reference designate correspondingparts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a board designed especially for ironing mens shirts and provided at opposite sides with laterally-movable stretcherebars 2, adapted to stretch a shirt over the board 1 to remove the wrinkles from the garment and to present a smooth surface for ironing; but the device for removing wrinkles from a garment may be applied to any ordinary form of ironing-board and may, as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings, be used in connection with an ironing-board 3, adapted to receive all kinds of garments and other fabrics to be ironed. The stretcher-bars 2 have rounded outer edges, as shown, and they are provided between their ends with longitudinal slots & for the reception of reduced outer ends 5 of a pair of slidable bars 6, arranged on the lower face of the board and diverging outwardly from the center to the sides of the same, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The slidalole bars 6 are arranged in guides or ways formed by fixed angularly-disposed diverging 'bars 7, a transverse bar or cleat 8, and longitudinal straps or bars 9. The diverging bars7, which are secured to the lower face of the board 1, are arranged parallel with the slidable bars 6 when the stretcher-bars are closed or at the limit of their inward movement, and the transverse cleat or bar 8 is spaced from the adjacent ends of the diverging bars 7 and have rounded ends 10, which form bearings for the slidable bars. The slidable bars 6 have, their inner ends 11 rounded and loosely connected by a flexible connection 12-such as a cord, rope, light wire, cable, or the like having branches or extensions 13 passing through perforations of the inner ends of the bars 6 and forming loops. The flexible connection may be constructed of any suitable material, and when it is placed under tension automatically by the means hereinafter described the stretcher-bars are forced outward and are adapted to remove the wrinkles from a shirt, whereby the same will be evenly stretched over the ironing-board. The stretcher-bars are pivoted to the bars 6 by pins 14: and are adapted to move freely on their pins 14 to adjust themselves automatically to thegarment on the ironing-board.

The board is provided at one end with a transverse block or cleat 15, to which is secured a bar 16, having its ends pivoted to a supporting-frame and forming a pivot or pi ntle for the board 1 to permit the same to swing upward from a horizontal position for enabling a shirt or other garment to be placed on or removed from the board.

The supporting-frame may be of any desired construction, and in the accompanying drawings the support for the board 1 consists of a pair of pivoted frames 17 and 18 and composed of suitable side bars and suitable connecting-bars. provided at the lower portions of its side bars with a transverse connecting-bar 19, having a-reduced central portion 20, forming a pivot for a weighted lever 21.

board 1 and is provided at its lower face with a longitudinal groove 26 to receive the flexible connection, and the groove is enlarged at the outer portion at 27 for the guide roller or pulley. The arm is slotted above the guide roller or pulley for the flexible connection, as shown. The downward movement of the weighted lever 21 is limited by a supporting device consisting of a flexible connection 28,

provided at its upper end with a hook 29 and having a block 30 at its lower end. The flexible connection 28 passes through a perforation of the weighted lever, and the hook engages a projection 31 of a transverse pivotbar 32 of the frames 17 and 18. When the board 1 is swung upward from a horizontal position, the flexible connection between the garment expanding or stretching device and the weighted lever is slackened, and the lever issupported by the block 30, whereby the flexible connection 12 is relieved of the tension device. This will permit the stretcherbars to be readily moved inward for enabling the shirt or other garment to be removed from the ironing-board. The transverse bar 8 and the cleat 15 are provided with grooves to form passages for the flexible connection 12. When the board 1 is swung upward, the tension device is automatically thrown out of operation,

The pivoted frame 17 is.

The weighted lever 21 is provided at one end with an eye to receive the pivot 20, and it is enlarged adjacent and when the board is returned to a horizontal position the flexible connection 12 is automatically placed under tension.

The pivoted frame 17 is provided at the upper ends of its side bars with blocks or brackets 33, having recesses at their upper ends for the reception of the terminals 34 of a supporting-bar 35, secured in the recesses by pins 36 or other suitable fastening devices, which pierce the brackets and the ends of the bar 35. The bar 35 extends across the upper end of the pivoted frame, and it is arranged to receive the inner hinged end of the board 1, whereby the latter is supported in an upright position. The central portion of the bar 35 is provided with a recess 37 to receive the pivoted button 38, which is adapted to lock the board in a horizontal position. When the board is in a horizontal position, the button 38, which is pivoted to the bar 16, is turned down, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to lock the board insuch position. The pins 36 are removable to permit the supportingbar 35 to be detached when it is desired to fold the ironingboard, as hereinafter explained.

The bar 32, which is secured to the frame 17 and which projects beyond the plane of the same, is provided at its ends with reduced rounded portions 39, forming pivots and fitting in the side bars of the frame 18 and pivotally connecting the two frames. The pivoted frame 18 is connected at the top by bars 10 and 41, the upper bar 40 being arranged to receive and support the board, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The pivoted frames are adjustably connected by braces 12, pivoted to the side bars of the frame 17 and provided with'notches 13,adapted to engage projections 1 1, located at the inner faces of the side bars of the frames 18, in suitable recesses thereof, whereby the pivoted frames are adapted to fold to the position illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The notches permit an adjustment of the pivoted frames, whereby the board is raised and lowered to arrange it to suit the operator. In order to limit the separation of the upper portion of the pivoted frames to prevent the support from collapsing while adjusting the same, the pivoted frames are provided with eyes 45, which are connected by a cord 16 or other flexible connection.

When it is desired to fold the ironingboard, the transverse bar 35 is detached and the braces 42 are disengaged from the projections 1 1 to permit the pivoted frames to fold together. The hook 22 disengaged from the eye 23 to permit the weighted lever to fall backward. The pivot-bar is provided with a recess 47 to receive the board 1. By this construction the ironing-board is compactly folded, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The pivoted frame 17 is provided with an iron support or stand 47, mounted on the frame 17 at the upper portion of one of the side burs thereof and arranged to extend between the bars 40 and 41 of the frame 18 when the parts are folded.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings the stretching device is shown applied to one end of the board 3 and the flexible connection 48 is attached to an operating-lever 49, which is held at the desired adjustment by a pivoted ratchet-bar The ratchet-bar is pivoted to one of the legs of the ironing-board, and it extends through a slot of the lever and engages a transverse pin 50 or other suitable fastening device of the same, as clearly shown in Fig. 7. The flexible connection may be provided with a spring 50 to provide a yielding tension to avoid injuring a garment. The other end of the board is supported by a hinged or pivoted leg 51, and these legs are adapted to be folded against the ironing-board when the same is not in use.

ln order to enable the neckband of a shirt to be properly ironed, the board 1 is provided with a block or support 52, having a beveled edge, which is curved to receive the neckband of a shirt. The block 52 is provided with pins or projections 53, which are arranged to engage suitable sockets or recesses of the board 1. The neck block or piece maybe connected with the ironing-board by a cord or other flexible connection 54 to prevent it from being lost or mislaid, and the said board 1 may be provided with a reduced extension 55 for supporting the neck block or piece.

Instead of supporting the ironing-board 3 by the pivoted legs 51 a table or any other suitable support may be provided for receiving that end of the ironing-board.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination with an ironing-board, of an expansible device arranged to stretch a garment on the board, and adapted to automatically engage and release a garment, a tension device for holding the expansible clevice in engagement with agarment, and means for automatically throwing the tension device into and out of operation, when the ironingboard is arranged for ironing and for permitting a garment to be placed on and removed from it, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an ironing-board, of an extensible garment-stretching device,

and means for automatically operating the same to engage and stretch and release a garment, when the ironing-board is moved to and from its position for use, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an ironing-board arranged to swing upward and downward, of an extensible garment-stretching device, and means for automatically operating the same to engage and stretch and release a garment as the ironing-board is swung downward and upward, substantially as described.

4'. The combination with an ironing-board,

of an extensible garment-stretching device, projecting laterally from opposite sides of the board, a flexible connection extending from the said device, and a tension device having a lever located beneath the ironing-board and connected with the flexible connection, substantially as described.

5. The combination with an ironing-board,

of an extensible garment-stretching device slidable bars and adapted to conform to a garment, and capable of automatically engaging and releasing the same and operating mechanism for automatically actuating the slidable bars when the ironing-board is raised and lowered, substantially as described.

7 The combination of an ironing-board, bars fixed to the lower face of thesame and arranged at an angle to each other, slidable bars arranged at an angle to each other and located within the fixed bars, a transverse bar having rounded end portions receiving the slidable bar, stretcher-bars connected with the slidable bars, and means for operating the slidable bars, substantially as described.

8. The combination of an ironing-board having a guide, angularly-disposed slidable bars having rounded inner ends fitted together, stretcher-bars connected with the outer ends of the slidable bars, and a flexible connection extending from the inner rounded ends of the slidable bars and adapted to operate the same,

substantially as described.

9. The combination of an ironing-board provided with ways, angularlydisposed slidable bars having inner ends fitted together, the outer ends of the bars being extended beyond the sides of the board, oscillatory stretcher-bars pivotally connected with the outer ends of the slidable bars, and operating mechanism connected with the slidable bars, substantially as described. 7

board, an extensible garment-stretching device mounted thereon, a weighted lever connected with the garment-stretching device and adapted to place thesame under tension when the ironing-board is in a horizontal position, and means for supporting the weighted lever and for limiting the downward movement 7 12C 10. The combination of a hinged ironing thereof, whereby the garment-stretching device is released When the ironing-board is swung upward, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a support, and an ironing-board hinged to the same, of an extensible garment-stretching device mounted on and carried by the ironing-board, a flexible connection extending from the garmentstretching device and arranged to be slackened when the ironing-board is swung upward, a weighted device connected with the garmentstretching device, and a flexible connection arranged to limit the downward movement of the weighted device and adapted to support the same when the ironing-board is swung upward, substantially as described.

12. The combination of a support, an ironing-board pivoted to the support and provided with an extension projecting beyond the pivot, an extensible garment stretching device mounted on the ironing-board, a flexible connection extending from the garment-stretching device to the extension of the board and depending therefrom, a weighted lever detachably connected with the flexible connec tion, and a supporting device consisting of a flexible connection detachably secured to the said. support and provided with means for limiting the downward movement of the weighted lever, substantially as described.

13. The combination of a support, an ironing-board hinged to the same and provided with an extension, an extensible garmentstretching device carried by the ironing-board, means for operating the stretching device for causing the same to automatically engage and release a garment, said means comprising a flexible connection extending from the-garment-stretching device to the extension of the ironing-board, and a tension device connected with the flexible connection, and means for locking the ironing-board in a horizontal p0 sition, substantially as described.

14. The combination of a support, an ironing-board pivoted between its ends to the support, an extensible garment-stretching device carried by the ironing-board, means for operating the stretching device for causing the same to automatically engage and release a garment, said means comprising a flexible con nection extending from the ironing-board at one side of the pivot to the opposite side of the same and connected with the garmentstretching device, a tension device connected with the flexible connection, and means for locking the ironing-board in a horizontal position, substantially as described.

15. The combination of a support composed of pivoted frames, an ironing-board pivotally mounted on one of the frames and arranged to'be supported on the other, a removable supporting-bar arranged on the frame to which the ironing-board is pivoted and adapted to support the said board when the same is swung upward, a locking device carried by the board for engaging the supporting-bar, an extensible garment-stretching device, and a tension device mounted on the support and connected with the garment-stretching device, substantially as described.

16. The combination of a support composed of pivoted frames, one of the frames being provided with a pivot-bar pivotally mounted in the other frame and having a recess, an ironing-board mounted on one of the frames and supported by the other and arranged to fold in the said recess, and a removable supporting-bar arranged to receive the ironing board when the same is swung upward, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own 1 have hereto aflixcd my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS J. BLAGG.

Vitnesses:

JAMES S. BOGART, SAM L. MICKEY. 

